NACE Members Anticipate Direct Initial Connections Between Students and Employers in 2021

During its 60th anniversary year, NACE is honoring its service to the profession, in part, by asking its members to look forward to the year 2021 and help model a vision of the future through polls posted on NACEWeb.

The third poll asked members about their predictions for how employers and students will most often make their initial connections in 2021. A total of 139 NACE members responded.

Sixty-five percent of respondents anticipate that initial communication will most often occur directly between employers and students (including online). However, survey respondents were nearly equally split in the direction of the direct contact. Thirty-four percent believe employers will most often contact students directly, while 31 percent anticipate students will most often initiate contact.

Nineteen percent expect that, in 2021, initial contact between students and employers will most often be facilitated by the career center, such as through a career fair or other on-campus program.